Stuart Pearce shares West Ham transfer window verdict on talkSPORT
West Ham coach Stuart Pearce has delivered his verdict on the club’s transfer business this summer after Tuesday’s deadline day saw two arrivals.
Speaking on talkSPORT [09:15, 02/09/21], Pearce has explained why it took until August 28 for the Irons to make their first outfield signing in the form of Kurt Zouma.
The France international was then joined by Nikola Vlasic and Alex Kral on deadline day, with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola joining earlier in the window.
“To be fair, it’s not been an easy window,” Pearce said. “Dave’s worked really, really hard at trying to get the right players in and a little bit of it is that we’re victims of our own semi-success.
“The standard of players has to be good enough that we see them for our first team. We don’t want to sign squad players so it’s taken a while to get a few over the line.
“We’re pleased with the players we’ve brought in, four players including Areola. [They are] all of the right age who have got improvement in front of us so we just hope they’re going to give the squad a lift.”
7/10?
West Ham supporters are likely to be split over the extent of the club’s success in the transfer market this summer.
On the one hand, four quality international players, all at a good age, have arrived at the London Stadium and they will provide stern competition to those currently in the starting XI.
That’s exactly what the Irons need – for too long the club has been signing older cast-offs from sides above them in the Premier League or adopting a scatter-gun approach to the transfer window.
However, there was one glaring error made by the club this summer – a striker has still not been signed.
Sebastien Haller was sold to Ajax in January, leaving Michail Antonio as the only senior centre-forward at the club.
The 31-year-old has started the season in spectacular fashion, but with his injury record and the added Europa League games on the way, not ensuring quality backup could prove to be a major oversight by the club.
In other West Ham news, Gary Neville hits out at failed Irons summer signing.
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